Is the Democratic Space Shrinking? - Human Rights Implementation in Viet Nam : A Case Study of the Democratic Space for Civil Society in Viet Nam

Sammanfattning: The democratic space for civil society has become a topic of significant international debate. Particular concern has been raised toward a worsened situation for human rights defenders and civil society organisations. This thesis aims to gain further understanding of the phenomenon democratic space by examining the situation for human rights defenders and civil society organisations in Viet Nam. This qualitative case study examines the freedom of speech, freedom of expression and opinion, and the freedom of peaceful assembly and association for human rights defenders and civil society organisations through the method of semi-structured interviews. To gain deeper understanding of the current situation in Viet Nam, this study puts forward the question of whether the democratic space can be said to be expanding or shrinking in this contextand if this has an effect on human rights implementation. The collected material revealed an opinion amongst interview respondents that human rights and economic growth have developed at different paces in Viet Nam. The democratic space for civil society has in large expanded during the past twenty years, but is of late revealing restrictions for human rights defenders and civil society organisations working to protect and promote human rights. Respondents expressed optimism toward the widening of democratic space in the long-term, but remained uncertain of the development of human rights implementation in the near future.